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Be Informed, Be Vigilant, Be Prepared

In the aftermath of this week's explosions at the Boston Marathon and the reported Ricin-tainted mail to elected officials, you may be wondering what you can do to ensure the safety of you and your loved ones. Officials in the National Capital Region encourage residents to take three simple steps:

Be Informed

Be Vigilant

Be Prepared

Be Informed

There is no information of any specific threats to the National Capital Region at this time. Here are numerous ways to ensure timely receipt when there is emergency information disseminated:

Visit Capitalert.gov to register for emergency alerts from your local jurisdiction. If you live in one place and work in another, be sure to sign up for alerts from both localities. You'll be able to get alerts delivered to your email account(s) and as text messages to your cellphone.

Be Prepared

Mobile devices are an important way to stay informed and connected before, during and after an emergency. Here are some tips to prepare yourself and your mobile device; more information is online:

Communicate with friends and family via text, email, Twitter, Facebook and other social media. Texting takes less bandwidth than phone calls and is often the best way to get through to each other in an emergency.

Make sure your mobile phone has an electric charger, inverter or solar charger.

If you lose power, you can charge your cellphone in your car. Just be sure your car is in a well-ventilated place (remove it from the garage) and do not go to your car until any danger has passed. You can also listen to your car radio for important news alerts.

If you do not have a cellphone, keep a prepaid phone card to use if needed during or after a disaster.

Save important phone numbers to your phone.

Prepare a family contact sheet. This should include at least one out-of-town contact that may be better able to reach family members in an emergency.